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Mayor's nominees for Shelby County Ethics Commission draw public pushback and delay
Summary
The mayor's nominations of attorney Yolanda Hardaway and former state representative Dwayne Thompson to the county Ethics Commission prompted a contentious hearing, public comments demanding delay and investigation, and a decision to postpone final action until Feb. 9, 2026 to allow more review.
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners heard the mayor's nominations of attorney Yolanda Hardaway and former state representative Dwayne Thompson to the Shelby County Ethics Commission amid public comments calling for an investigation and requests to delay action.
The nominations were presented by a mayoral special assistant and supported in remarks by the administration as steps to restore impartial oversight; the nominees spoke briefly and said they would serve if confirmed. During committee review the nominations had been sent to the full commission with an unfavorable recommendation; shortly before the meeting the commission received a written withdrawal from a separate nominee, Willie F. Brooks Jr., who asked to remove his name from consideration.
The public comment period and many commissioners focused on allegations involving other elected officials and on whether the nominations were appropriate given ongoing tensions between the administration and the commission. Commenters urged the commission to delay picking Ethics Commission members until after an ongoing investigation or the next administration; others said the nominations should proceed to fill a board that has been inactive in recent years.
Legal staff told the commission that state law and the county charter require the commission to have appointments considered and that the commission may legally take action on nominations presented to it. Still, commissioners debated whether to proceed immediately or allow more time for review. Following debate, the commission agreed to defer final action to Feb. 9, 2026 to allow additional vetting and to try to restore confidence in the appointment process.
Ending: The mayor's office said it would continue to engage with commissioners. The nominations remain pending; one nominee withdrew. The commission directed further review before final votes.
